Craig Failor Named Village of Oak Park Development Services Director
Published on February 20, 2025
Village Manager Kevin J. Jackson has announced that Craig Failor AICP, LEED AP has been appointed Development Services Director for the Village of Oak Park, effective Mon., Feb. 24. Failor, an Oak Park resident, already has more than 22 years of experience serving the Village.
“We are thrilled to elevate Craig to this important leadership position within our organization,” said Jackson. “He is well-respected within the organization and his experience working on behalf of the residents and businesses here in Oak Park speaks for itself. All of that, and more, will serve him incredibly well as our new Development Services Director. I am confident that it will be a seamless transition for him, and for the many staff members under his guidance. I have no doubt that he will keep the department on its upward trajectory when it comes to service delivery for the people of Oak Park.”
“I truly appreciate the confidence Village Manager Jackson has in me to carry on the important and significant work being performed by the Development Services department as its Director,” said Failor.
Failor has served as the Village Planner and Planning and Urban Design Manager since September 2002. In the role, he has regularly met with a variety of constituents including residents, developers, attorneys, elected and appointed public officials and other agencies all with eye toward moving the Village forward. His responsibilities have included facilitating staff Project Review Team meetings, administering, interpreting and ensuring compliance with the Zoning Ordinance, Comprehensive Plan, business district plans, Historic Preservation Guidelines and Sign Ordinance.
In addition, Failor has been a working member and manager of the ad hoc Madison Street Coalition and Roosevelt Road Advisory Committee, and has played a key role in various economic development projects. He serves as the staff liaison to the Plan Commission and Community Design Commission, while also supervising the staff liaisons to the Zoning Board of Appeals and Historic Preservation Commission.
Prior to arriving at Village Hall more than two decades ago, Failor was Assistant Director of Planning and a Senior Planner for the Village of Barrington, Illinois for five years. There, among other responsibilities, he served as staff support to the Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee of the Village Board and served as Barrington’s liaison to the Lake County Framework Plan Update.
Failor came to Barrington following six years as a Planner in the Community Development department with the Village of Lombard, Illinois. His municipal career began in 1989, when he began a two-year stint as a Planner with a focus on Zoning Enforcement for the City of Belvidere, Illinois.
Failor is a current member of the American Planning Association and the APA’s New Urbanism and Sustainability Divisions; he’s also presented at both national and local APA conferences. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, U.S. Green Building Council, Congress for New Urbanism, Urban Land Institute and Lambda Alpha International.
Failor is a graduate of Iowa State University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in community and regional planning. He also earned an Associate in Applied Science for mechanical drafting from Marshalltown Community College in Iowa.
Failor has been named the Village of Oak Park’s Development Services Director following the departure of Emily Egan from the organization. Egan held the role since February 2024.
About Oak Park - The Village of Oak Park, located just nine miles west of downtown Chicago, offers a distinctive urban/suburban lifestyle in a thriving, multi-cultural community. Well-known for progressive values, tree-lined streets and bustling business districts, Oak Park serves as an ideal place to live, work and play. As a longstanding community of choice, the Village benefits from convenient access to local and regional transit, high-quality public schools, and arts and cultural attractions, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio and his acclaimed Unity Temple, which was recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.